Appendix Nine

Overview of What Every Person Can Do

What We Know To Be True

People who need assistance in life need to know they are loved and powerful enough to take charge of their own lives in order for the assistance to be of any use, breaking endless cycles of dependency.

Programs without a Ground of Being of loving-kindness and the power of choice within are expensive to maintain and unlikely to allow people to take charge of their own lives.

Damage comes from damage. The only people who break the cycle of damage are those who know they are loved absolutely, unconditionally and are powerful enough to choose – no matter what their environment.

The Origins of the Work

Intention

For participants to experience that all of us have within our heart and mind the ability to create a life of value and purpose.  “What Every Person Can Do” is about accessing the power that already resides within each of us. 

Structure

“What Every Person Can Do” is an experientially based exploration of the power that resides within all people and honors the unique life experiences of each participant. Over a twelve-week period, through practical, personal assignments and reflections, participants discover that the loving-kindness of Mother Theresa and the indomitable will of a Nelson Mandela reside within all people, the only issue is access. This program, Grounded in loving-kindness and personal responsibility, explores the following:

• Creating climates of workability, ownership and responsibility
• Preciousness of time
• Choice
• Breaking habits that don’t work, beginning habits that do
• Persistence in the face of no agreement
• Developing balance and self-care
• Separating who people are from what they do
• Effective communication
• The importance of context and how to create it
• Learning how to break cycles of automatic response to a problem
• Building a personal, daily routine that works
• Truly effective listening
• Solving problems brilliantly
• Increasing personal energy

“What Every Person Can Do” Intended Results

To experience that you are loved absolutely and unconditionally.

To experience that in every second the opportunity exists to make a choice that allows us to create brilliance or mediocrity.

To experience the power that resides within each of us.

To experience our ability to create meaningful, productive, joyous, contributory lives.

To experience our ability to create environments where others can choose to create meaningful, productive, joyous, contributory lives.

To experience that the past is only significant if we have failed to learn from it.

To experience our ability to maintain our focus when it seems that no one else is interested or cares.

To experience ourselves as powerful, capable and able, completely in charge of our own well-being.

To experience our ability to create an environment of exceptional support, communication and teamwork.

To experience our ability to be master problem solvers.

To experience our ability to see what is wanted and needed in any situation and know how best to produce that result.

To develop a process of self-care that supports each participant, their families and producing brilliant work.

Conveners

Conveners of “What Every Person Can Do” from around the world will be ready to work with individuals in their native tongues. Interpreters will be provided when language speakers are not readily available. Currently there are Conveners in India, Germany, Sweden, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, Austria, England, China, Romania, Canada, Portugal, France, Ireland, South Africa, as well as 22 states in the U.S..

Clients

Corporations, school systems, Job Corps programs, Military Institutions, Maine State Prison System, YMCAs, Combat Veterans and a wide variety of other individuals. Currently: 158th Fighter Wing, United States Air Force, Burlington, Vermont; YMCA of Houston, Texas; Pause Place, London.

Strength in this case (the power within) is not about force or physical power.  It is always gentle and acknowledges the capabilities of others.  It is about the ability to create poetry in a concentration camp, enter a ‘white’ university as its only black…It is about commitment and dedication to goals worthy of support.  It all begins with the individual.

– bill cumming

The Boothby Institute

          To find out more about Albert Boothby, the programs and history of The Boothby Institute visit: www.theboothbyinstitute.org